Hawker Centres are no frills places in Singapore where you can eat great food on the tightest budget.

Old Airport Road Food Centre is often touted to be the best hawker centre in Singapore. By best I mean not the cleanest or the biggest, but the one with the most top foods as declared by most Foodies and Singaporeans. Hokkien Mee, Wan Tan Mee, Lor Mee, Rojak, you name it, they have top rated local fare here. When you’re broke, you don’t have to skimp on taste. For just S$3 your taste buds can get full satisfaction. For S$2 you can get a kopi and a dough fritter as a snack.

When I was in Adelaide the cheapest meal I could get was a KFC meal for S$7 and that was a couple of years ago. My cousin in Perth tells me a simple sandwich in Perth now costs S$10.

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

The quirky thing about Singapore Hawker stalls is that their signboards often contain the word famous and also the name of the street they originated from which could be in a totally different area or district. It’s all a bit confusing. The strange thing is most Singaporeans would know that the famous Toa Payoh Rojak for instance is located in Airport Road Hawker Centre.

Singaporeans being kiasu, also love certifications so most of the food stalls are plastered with all kinds of certificates they have been awarded by Food shows and foodies. We are also attracted when there is a long queue at a stall. Sometimes, a long queue just means the server is really slow, but psychologically (going by the Singapore psyche) it can drum up business for a while.

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

photo by bookjunkie

Sitting here I got a splendid view of some of the oldest flats in Singapore. I like that they are low rise and plain. They actually look pretty darn attractive to me and have more charm and character than a condo.

Can you believe that I’ve NEVER been to Old Airport Road, even though I lived in Singapore for most of my life? I’m so sad that I couldn’t make it there this trip, your photos are making me very hungry whilst I suffer in London!!!